We’re 22 weeks into our #WNSTSweet16 celebration, and we’re a week removed from perhaps the most controversial list of the year. It’s going to be a hard act to follow. The rest of our staff is grateful Nestor Aparicio handled last week’s prep list so that we could avoid the heat-and the difficulty.

If you’re not familiar with what I’m talking about (I mean…there’s always one), 2014 marks our 16th year of serving the Baltimore community as sports media leader here at WNST.net. We’re celebrating by taking a different “water cooler” topic every week and dissecting it before declaring an “official” list every Tuesday.

We then continue the celebration by yelling, screaming, name calling and then ultimately agreeing to hug it out. Well, most of us do anyway. Luke never really gets involved with the name-calling. Actually one time he did. He said “I have to be honest, I respectfully disagree” and then apologized for such an outburst.

If you’ve missed any of our #WNSTSweet16 lists thus far this year (including Nestor’s hotly debated list from a week ago), here’s your chance to catch up. (The #WNSTSweet16 is brought to you by Jerry’s Automotive!)

I’m in the cockpit for this week’s #WNSTSweet16 for the second time in three weeks. We’re in the throws of the NBA Finals, with the San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat offering a couple of classics to start the series.

With that in mind, we thought this week would be appropriate to look back on the area’s own professional basketball history. Our topic this week is the “Sweet 16 best ever Baltimore/Washington Bullets/Wizards”.

Sure, that sounds like a disjointed topic title, but we have to imagine you understand why. The pro franchise that currently plays down in DC’s Chinatown neighborhood once called Charm City home-beginning their existence playing games at the historic Baltimore Arena. We wanted to recognize Baltimore’s pro history (albeit brief) and then also recognize the players who played for the franchise in Washington since there are a number of Wizards fans in our area as well.

This means that not only are Earl “The Pearl” Monroe and Wes Unseld eligible for our list, but so are John Wall and Bradley Beal-and everyone in between.

I’m struggling already with the list. There are a couple of Hall of Famers that immediately go to the top of the list-but how does the list shake out after that? There were a number of players during the Bullets/Wizards’ lean years in the District that were good for a short time, but not for an extended period of time. Where does Gilbert Arenas fit into this picture?

These aren’t easy determinations to make.

I want your suggestions. You can leave them here in the comments on this blog post or email me (glenn@wnst.net). We will be discussing the list throughout the day Monday on AM1570 WNST.net. We’d love to have you Tweet with us or discuss the topic via Facebook by using the hashtag #WNSTSweet16.

On Tuesday morning, I will unveil the “official” list here at WNST.net and then discuss it with Drew and Luke on “The D&L Window Tinting Morning Reaction” at 8am. I will then re-visit the list at 4pm Tuesday with Nestor on “The Happy Hours”.

I need to hear from old Baltimore Bullets fans and (frankly) younger Washington Wizards fans alike for this one. Who are the greatest players in franchise history? Make your voice heard!

This is Baltimore. Just down Interstate-95, about 35-minutes south, is Washington. Baltimore isn’t Washington–and the Wizards aren’t the hometown team.

For a decade, the Civic Center–Baltimore Areana/First Mariner Arena–housed the red-white-and-blue uniforms that represented the city’s NBA franchise. And then, after the 1973 season, they whisked away to the greener pastures of the Washington DC suburbs of Landover.

And, like that, the Bullets were no longer property of Baltimore.

Though the franchise made an effort to travel to Charm City for several home-games each year, it was never quite right; almost like having dinner with an ex-girlfriend who says she’s confused and needs space, but you know she’s been sleeping with some other guy for quite some time.

On a personal level, a kid like me never knew any better. Born in 1983, I knew nothing other than vivid memories of Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, told to me by my basketball-crazed father.

Sure, as a kid we watched the Bullets on Home-Team-Sports (big-time throwback), and we went to any games that the team played in Baltimore–even though it was routinely against bottom-feeders like the Barkley-less-Sixers, the Laettner-led Timberwolves, or the JV team that used to be the New Jersey Nets.

As a kid, it was perfectly acceptable to run around the Bear Creek and West Inverness playgrounds with a handmade Tom Gugliotta jersey while bellowing out “Guuuuuuuugs.”

Ah, but ignorance is bliss. As time went on, it became more and more apparent that the Bullets couldn’t really care less about Baltimore.

Even though mainstays like Wes Unseld and Phil Chenier claimed love for Baltimore and its fans who created a college-type of atmosphere, the organization decided that in 1997, it was the end of the yearly trips to Baltimore–officially closing the door on memory lane.

By 1998, the re-branded Wizards took to the court at the newly constructed MCI Center in the heart of one of the worst crime-laden neighborhoods in our Nation’s Capital. And, even though Baltimore has been the backdrop of drug-infested war-stories like HBO’s The Wire, try and convince a Dundalkian, Overlean, or Parkvillian to venture into DC.

You’d have a better chance of convincing a Fallston girl to leave a Fed Hill bar and go to a keg-party in a Dundalk basement.

And that’s just it. It’s not that Baltimore and its fans lost interest in the Bullets-turned-Wizards. It’s that the franchise lost interest in its roots.

The official statements that the organization made and would continue to make if anyone still asked the question, would be that they aren’t going to keep piling into a dilapidated arena when they have a newer facility less-than-an-hour away.

But there’s more to the story than that; perhaps most importantly, it’s not the arena that the Bullets-Wizards franchise shunned, it’s the fans.

The fans of Baltimore who had memories of Gus Johnson and Elvin Hayes. The fans who clamored to get tickets to watch a couple of games per year from obstructed view seats. The fans who still think that the Wizards are part of Baltimore.

And that’s what it’s become. A fallacy of what once was.

These days, as a kids who never really knew the Bullets like my dad did, I watch the Wizards and appreciate their youthful enthusiasm and the growing chemistry of budding superstars like Bradley Beal and John Wall.

But I look at them as I look at Oklahoma City’s franchise; or Indiana’s, or Brooklyn’s.

This is Baltimore. And while it’s certainly understandable to like the Wizards and enjoy their run in the playoffs, it’s important to remember, they’re Washington’s team–not Baltimore’s.

“Efficiency Index” ranks how well all 122 franchises in the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB turned wages into wins over last five seasons

NEW YORK (April 24, 2014) – Today Bloomberg Businessweek released its Smartest Spenders in Sports 2014 ranking of all 122 franchises in the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB, rating them based on how much they spent in player payroll for every win during the last five seasons. The NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks come in #1 thanks to their five playoff trips, two Stanley Cups, and placing 13th in spending. The Blackhawks are followed by MLB’s St. Louis Cardinals at #2, NHL’s Boston Bruins at #3, NFL’s New England Patriots at #4, and MLB’s Tampa Bay Rays at #5. Coming in last on the ranking at #122 is MLB’s Chicago Cubs, with an average five-year payroll of nearly $120 million and no post-season victories during that time. The Smartest Spenders in Sports is online now at businessweek.com at http://buswk.co/SmartSports2014, and will be in the new issue of the magazine on newsstands tomorrow, Friday, April 25, 2014.

Bloomberg Businessweek’s Ira Boudway and Evan Applegate compared each team against the average price per win in its league to produce a score called the “efficiency index”: The less a team spends compared to its peers, the lower its score. Playoff victories and championships get extra weight. Boudway is available for interviews as well.

Payroll data come from the best available published sources. Season records included for the NHL and NBA were from 2008-9 to 2012-13; records included for the NFL and MLB were from 2009-13. Playoff wins count for 10 percent of a season (e.g., 16.2 wins in baseball); Wild Card wins get half credit; Championships count for 50 percent of a season (81 wins in baseball).

An interactive version of the Smartest Spenders in Sports 2014 index is available on businessweek.com. Readers can sort the rankings by league and adjust the weights with their own values to see how the rankings change.

MLB: Top team is the St. Louis Cardinals (#2); least efficient is the Chicago Cubs (#122)

NFL: Top team is the New England Patriots (#4); least efficient is the St. Louis Rams (#117)

NBA: Top team is the Miami Heat (#6); least efficient is the Washington Wizards (#120)

NHL: Top team is the Chicago Blackhawks (#1); least efficient is the Edmonton Oilers (#121)By Market:Boston: Three Boston area teams make the top 25 – The Bruins at #3, Patriots at #4, and Celtics at #23 – while the Red Sox come in at #86, due to their lost 2012 season.Chicago: Chicago teams claim the first and last spots on this year’s ranking – the Blackhawks are #1 and the Cubs are #122. The Bulls are #27, Bears are #57, and the White Sox are #112.Los Angeles: The City of Angels sees the LA Kings at #13, Lakers at #18, Anaheim Ducks at #56, Clippers at #68, Dodgers at #80, and Angels at #102.

New York Area: No New York area teams rank in the top 30, and five of the area’s nine teams rank in the bottom half of the list. The New York Giants are #32, New Jersey Devils are #43, New York Rangers are #47, New York Jets are #50, Knicks are #77, Islanders are #91, Yankees are #92, Brooklyn Nets are #98, and the Mets are #118.Washington DC/ Baltimore: Washington is the only market to have two teams in the bottom 10 slots: The Redskins are #115 – and one of the three worst franchises in the NFL – and the Washington Wizards are #120. The Baltimore Ravens are #7, Washington Capitals are #30, Washington Nationals are #58, and the Baltimore Orioles are #70.

Baltimore sports fans are irrational, unrealistic, unforgiving, and hard-to-fool. Baltimore sports fans are unlike any other sports fans, because they’re–as Toyota used to say–“simply the best.”

Every Wednesday, over the next 40-years or so, I’m going to author a semi-regular feature entitled “How to be a Baltimore Sports Fan.” The idea behind this stems back to a conversation I had with some college students during my time as an English professor at a local community college.

The conversation went something like this:

Me: “This season might be another ‘Why Not’ year.”

Student #1: “Why not what?”

Me: The “Why Not” season in 1989; the year the O’s went from worst to ‘almost’ first.

Student #2: I was born in 1992.

Me: Don’t you know any Baltimore history?

Student #3: Ain’t this English class?

Me: It is. But you’re clearly struggling with speaking the Queen’s language–and you’re from Baltimore.

Student #3: How you know dat?

Me: I can tell by your accent. I’m from Dundalk. I could pick out a Bal-murr accent halfway around the world in a room full of people screaming Chinese expletives.

Alas, it’s this conversation that has sparked this column. Some people–local youth, sheltered stepchildren, non-local-Ivy-Leaguers-of-the-“local media”–need some help on understanding what it means to be a Baltimore sports fan.

Miguel Gonzalez went five-and-two-thirds last night. Wei Yin Chen went five the night before. Ubaldo Jimenez hurled five-and-a-third on Sunday. All three pitchers topped the 100 pitch mark. It’s impossible, yes impossible, to win more than you lose when your starting rotation consistently throws a full-game worth of pitches at the half-way point in the game.

Show me a team who has a rotation that consistently gives way in the 6th and I’ll show you a sub-.500 record.

Perhaps we’re starting to see why Dave Wallace has been away from the Major Leagues since 2007. Even though he’s still been around baseball, you have to wonder if his tactics and his style are working, some seven years later.

Think about it, what were you doing seven years ago? Me, I was finishing college and chasing girls around Canton and Fed Hill. If my wife ditched me tomorrow and I jumped right back into the bar scene, I’d be as effective as water-logged firewood.

#2 Be Unrealistic: The Wizards are 2-0 in the NBA Playoffs, build an arena and give Baltimore the ball!

The Wizards look legit.

Down in the fourth-quarter of both games in Chicago, the Wiz–coincidentally, that’s my name too–have come out on top and carry a 2-0 series lead back to the Mid-Atlantic region–Baltimore sports fans refuse to use the word that describes the area in which Congress meets to discuss their vacation plans and fantasy football teams.

All this Wizards’ success means that Baltimore should definitely build a new arena and focus on attracting an NBA team.

#3 Be Unforgiving: Jonathan Schoop doesn’t belong in the Big Leagues.

He can hit. He’s got some talent. But he doesn’t understand the game of baseball and desperately needs to return to a slower-pace at Norfolk.

#4 Be Hard-To-Fool: The Ravens aren’t looking for character guys, they’re looking for cheap talent.

Like it or not, the Baltimore Ravens have shifted their focus. There was a time when the organization steered clear of troubled players–think of all the receivers they passed on during a time when the roster was devoid of anyone with play-making ability. Brandon Marshall was a head-case, Chad Ochocinco-Martinez-Wong-Abdullah-Kazamakos-Johnson-Smith was a jerk, and so on.

If the flirtation with Rolando McClain proved anything, it’s that the Ravens have given in when it comes to looking past a players’ off-the-field issues or personal flaws.

Maybe it’s just the state of the NFL and society, but if you told me that this organization would have allowed itself to be yo-yoed around and attached to the negative press that Rolando McClain created, I’d have bet you’d first see Peter Angelos doing the Wild Bill O-R-I-O-L-E-S cheer atop the Orioles’ dugout in game seven of the World Series.

#5 Be The Best: Ubaldo Jimenez needs some love.

This Friday night, in Baltimore, Jimenez will make his fifth start as an Oriole. It’ll come against a spry and aggressive Kansas City lineup. He’s ranged from horrendous to decent thus far. If you’re at the Yard on Friday night, get behind Baltimore’s $50Million man. Give him some love.

But if he gets chased after giving up more than five runs in less than five innings, boo him like he’s the lovechild of Billy Cundiff and Mark Teixeira

The Wizards were back in action at the Verizon Center against the Charlotte Bobcats last night. This game had huge implications for the NBA playoff seedings and the Wizards were looking to rebound after a tough loss to the Bulls over the past weekend.

Washington had a horrendous first half in a matchup that was essentially a playoff game. John Wall struggled early as he was turning the ball over often and failed to penetrate the defense. The Bobcats were getting easy baskets in the paint led by the good guard play of Kemba Walker.

The Bobcats entered the third quarter with a 13-point lead and that’s when the Wizards began to find their groove. John Wall led the way in a 14-2 scoring run to open the third quarter and the Wizards were right back in it.

The fourth quarter was back and forth and the Wizards finally gained the lead with just over five minutes to play. Kemba Walker hit a big three to tie the game at 83 and Wall hit a jumper on the other end with just over 50 seconds to play. Washington had possession with a tied game and just 17 seconds left and coach Wittman took a timeout.

Marcin Gortat finished a nice feed from John Wall to take a two-point lead with just 9 seconds left. Al Jefferson was found down low on the other end, wide open for a layup to tie it with just second’s left. Gortat mentioned after the game he did not want to foul and give Jefferson a chance at a 3-point play to win the game.

The Wizards were abysmal in overtime as they only scored one point and fell to the Bobcats 94-88. With the opportunity squandered, the race is now on with just four games left in the regular season. The two teams are now tied with a 40-38 record and the Cats hold the tiebreaker. The Bobcats have two games at home remaining against the 76ers and Bulls and road games against the Celtics and Hawks.

With how the standings shake up after last nights round of games the Wizards are set to face the two-time defending NBA champion Miami Heat. It is imperative that Washington finishes strong down the stretch so they can still get a shot at the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference. Here are more of my thoughts from last night’s game:

– Trevor Booker was a big-time spark player for the Wizards last night and Wall credited Booker postgame for being the sole reason they still had a chance to be in the game after the first half. He was active on both ends of the floor and his prescence was felt defensively as he finished with five blocks.

– Wall struggled early on, but as he turned it on early in the second half the rest of the team followed. He finally was able to get through the interior of the defense and make plays for his big men. Wall registered his third triple double of his career ( 14 pts 12 reb 11 ast) his last triple double came against the Celtics this past January.

– Washington is the second best three point shooting team in the NBA behind the Spurs and have four players that have made over 100 three pointers this season. It was difficult to watch the solid three point shooting squad shoot just 1-15 from long range. Wall did mention after the game your not going to win any games shooting from downtown like that, especially when your first three comes in the fourth quarter.

– Marcin Gortat was a force on the inside once again and keeps showing he was quite the acquisition this past offseason. Gortat finished with 27 points and 14 rebounds which makes up for his 34th double-double this season. Antawn Jamison was the last Wizards player to have over 34 double-doubles in season when he had 38 during the 2008-09 season.

– Nene was back in action for the first time since his injury against Cleveland this past February. He was certainly rusty at first, but he eventually started to find his groove. After the game, Nene mentioned the staff said he looked good throughout the game so his minutes per game will be something to monitor the rest of the way.

– Bradley Beal and Trevor Ariza were the players on the floor who struggled the most tonight. Beal finished with just 8 points and was 4-15 from the field. Trevor Ariza was 0-6 on the night and failed to score one point. If Beal and Ariza go for a combined 4-21 from the field in a game, the Wizards chances of winning will never be good.

Odds to win the 2014 Stanley Cup (Teams in red have longer odds from last month, teams in blue have shorter odds, and teams in black stayed the same)

Odd on 2/4/14 Current

St. Louis Blues 6/1 5/1

Chicago Blackhawks 11/2 13/2

Pittsburgh Penguins 6/1 13/2

Anaheim Ducks 7/1 15/2

Boston Bruins 9/1 15/2

San Jose Sharks 10/1 10/1

Los Angeles Kings 16/1 12/1

Colorado Avalanche 20/1 20/1

New York Rangers 25/1 20/1

Montreal Canadiens 33/1 25/1

Toronto Maple Leafs 28/1 25/1

Tampa Bay Lightning 20/1 28/1

Minnesota Wild 40/1 33/1

Philadelphia Flyers 25/1 33/1

Detroit Red Wings 33/1 40/1

Washington Capitals 40/1 40/1

Columbus Blue Jackets 40/1 50/1

Dallas Stars 75/1 50/1

NBA Odds

“After looking at the rest of the schedule for the Philadelphia 76ers, it is possible that they will not be favored in any games for the rest of the regular season. We currently have them projected as small underdogs for their home game against Utah on Saturday. Seeing as Utah is probably one of the weaker teams left on their schedule, and they are still not favorites to win, we think the Sixers may be barking the rest of the season.”

Kevin Bradley, Bovada.lv Sportsbook Manager

Will the Philadelphia 76ers win another game during the 2013-2104 Regular Season?

Yes 1/5

No 3/1

Odds to win 2014 NBA Championship

Miami Heat 11/5

Indiana Pacers 5/2

Oklahoma City Thunder 15/4

San Antonio Spurs 11/1

Los Angeles Clippers 12/1

Houston Rockets 16/1

Golden State Warriors 20/1

Portland Trailblazers 20/1

Chicago Bulls 50/1

Brooklyn Nets 66/1

Dallas Mavericks 66/1

Memphis Grizzlies 66/1

Toronto Raptors 66/1

Phoenix Suns 75/1

Washington Wizards 100/1

Atlanta Hawks 250/1

Cleveland Cavaliers 250/1

Detroit Pistons 250/1

Minnesota Timberwolves 250/1

New York Knicks 250/1

Charlotte Bobcats 500/1

Boston Celtics 750/1

Odds to win 2014 NBA Eastern Conference

Miami Heat 10/13

Indiana Pacers 11/10

Chicago Bulls 25/1

Toronto Raptors 28/1

Brooklyn Nets 33/1

Washington Wizards 50/1

Atlanta Hawks 100/1

New York Knicks 100/1

Cleveland Cavaliers 125/1

Detroit Pistons 125/1

Charlotte Bobcats 200/1

Boston Celtics 400/1

Odds to win 2014 NBA Western Conference

Oklahoma City Thunder 5/4

San Antonio Spurs 9/2

Los Angeles Clippers 11/2

Houston Rockets 15/2

Golden State Warriors 9/1

Portland Trailblazers 9/1

Memphis Grizzlies 28/1

Dallas Mavericks 33/1

Phoenix Suns 40/1

Minnesota Timberwolves 100/1

Odds to win 2014 NBA Atlantic Division

Toronto Raptors 1/4

Brooklyn Nets 5/2

Odds to win 2014 NBA Northwest Division

Oklahoma City Thunder 1/7

Portland Trailblazers 4/1

Odds to win 2014 NBA Pacific Division

Los Angeles Clippers 1/7

Golden State Warriors 9/2

Phoenix Suns 15/1

Odds to win 2014 NBA Southwest Division

San Antonio Spurs 1/5

Houston Rockets 3/1

2013-14 NBA MVP

Kevin Durant (OKC) 1/3

LeBron James (MIA) 2/1

2013-14 Rookie of the Year

Victor Oladipo (ORL) 5/7

Michael Carter-Williams (PHI) 1/1

Odds to make Playoffs

Will the Atlanta Hawks make the playoffs in the 2013-14 season?

Yes 1/6

No 4/1

Will the Detroit Pistons make the playoffs in the 2013-14 season?

Yes 4/1

No 1/6

Will the Dallas Mavericks make the playoffs in the 2013-14 season?

Yes 1/4

No 5/2

Will the Phoenix Suns make the playoffs in the 2013-14 season?

Yes 5/7

No 1/1

Will the Memphis Grizzlies make the playoffs in the 2013-14 season?

Yes 1/1

No 5/7

Will the Minnesota Timberwolves make the playoffs in the 2013-14 season?